March 29, 2008

Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. - Two solid pitching performances proved to be the difference as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Softball team lost both ends of a doubleheader against Hampton University on Saturday at Lady Pirates Field.

With the losses, The Lady Hawks moved to 7-16 overall and 0-2 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.

UMES pulled the game even at two all in the opener, but could not overcome the fine hitting of the Lady Pirates, falling 7-2. Hampton cranked out 13 hits while the Lady Hawks managed three.

Jada Jeffries went the distance to pick up the win for Hampton, giving up two earned runs and striking out three, while Bonnie Heineken (North Pole, Alaska/North Pole H.S.) took the loss for UMES, allowing five earned runs, five walks, and tossing just one strike out in six innings of work.

UMES was paced by Dawnita Leigh (Hughesville, Md./College of Southern Maryland) who's only hit of the game was a two-run homerun, her first of the season, that tied the game in the second inning. Leigh finished with two RBIs and a run. Kendra Saunders (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada/Streetsville Secondary School) finished a perfect two-of-two at the plate and scored the lone other run.

The Lady Pirates were led by Angela Balser who went two-of-three, with four RBIs and a run. Brooke Boykin and Jeffries added three hits and a run each, while the former also had a score.

Hampton put up two runs in the first inning behind a Balser single to right field to take an early 2-0 lead.

However, UMES would respond the very next inning as Leigh's two-run shot made it two apiece.

The Lady Pirates would regain the lead for good in the fourth inning on a Boykin base hit down the left field line that drove in Amanda Black to give them a 3-2 advantage.

A Balser double to bring in a pair of runners sparked a four run Hampton fifth inning that put the game out of reach with Jeffries holding UMES scoreless the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, game two would not fare any better for the Lady Hawks as Hampton poured it on from the get go, cruising to an 11-2 five inning victory.

Black picked up the complete game win for Hampton, giving up just one earned run on three hits, while striking out five batters.

UMES' Mishayla Truttman (Gresham, Ore./Gresham H.S.) was credited with the loss as she gave up six earned runs and seven hits in four innings of duty.

It was Balser who once again led the way for the Lady Pirates, continuing her monster day on a two-of-three hitting performance, with five RBIs and a pair of runs. Brittany Davis also contributed with three RBIs and two runs on only one hit.

Cassandra Carlos (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Ranch H.S.) paced UMES with an RBI, hit, and a run. Both Chelsea Logan (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic Academy) and Tiana Strother (Upper Marlboro, Md./Charles H. Flowers H.S.) had a base knock each, while the latter along with Saunders added a run and RBI, respectively.

The Lady Hawks jumped ahead in the first inning on a Saunders ball hit to left field that was ruled an error, allowing Carlos to score and make it 1-0 in favor of the visitors.

That was the first and only time UMES would lead the remainder of the game as Hampton responded emphatically with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, which included RBI doubles from Davis and Balser each.

The duo continued their hot hitting in the second inning with Davis bringing in a pair of runners on a fielder's choice and Balser scoring another on a ground out to short stop that made it 7-1.

Hampton would tack on four more runs in the fourth inning on the heels of a Balser three-run homer and an Evelyn Garcia triple down the right field line that widened the margin to 11-1.

A two-out single by Strother kept the fifth inning alive for UMES. Carlos then followed with a double to center that drove home Strother and cut the lead to 11-2. However, a ground out to the first baseman on the next play would effectively end the game due to the eight-run mercy rule.

The two teams will wrap-up the series with a rubber match tomorrow starting at 1:00 p.m.